Main News

The Rail-Trail Council of Northeastern Pennsylvania celebrated the completion of 3.5 miles of newly improved D&H Rail-Trail on August 18 at the Stevens Point Trailhead. More than 60 trail funders, public officials, supporters, and community members attended the celebration.

The program included congratulatory remarks from State Senator Lisa Baker, a longtime supporter of the D&H Rail-Trail for more than 30 years. Also offering remarks were April Hannon, PennDOT District 4.0’s Bike-Ped Coordinator; Christine Dettore, Regional Advisor for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR); and Cain Chamberlin of the Endless Mountains Heritage Region.

All three Susquehanna County Commissioners were on hand to congratulate the Rail-Trail Council, along with Staci Wilson of the Susquehanna County Promotion and Tourism Agency. Corey Rutledge, Construction Manager for Rutledge Excavating, also spoke about the challenges and unique process of transforming former railroad corridors into recreational trails.

Following the program, a unique trail sculpture featuring numerous railroad artifacts was unveiled by Wanda Rockwell and welder Dan Wells. The sculpture was dedicated in memory of the late Jon Burdick, a Rail-Trail Council board member, historian, photographer, and dedicated trail ambassador.

Following the unveiling, attendees proceeded across Starrucca Creek Road to the newly improved trail section, where they were joined by more than 40 bicyclists eager to be among the first to ride the new section.

This project was made possible through funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program (TASA) and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (PA DCNR) Recreational Trails Program, with matching funds provided by trail supporters and members.

The Rail-Trail Council extends its appreciation to all of the funders, public officials, contractors, volunteers, members, and supporters who helped make this improvement to the D&H Rail-Trail possible.

Steamtown National Historic Site will celebrate the past, present and future of American railroading during Railfest 2026, taking place Sept. 4 to 6, from 9:00am to 5:00pm each day. The park's premier annual celebration features three days of historic train rides, visiting railroad equipment, locomotive shop demonstrations, exhibits, music, ranger programs, hands-on activities and displays from community and railroad partners. General admission to the park and Railfest is free.

This year's Railfest marks an extraordinary convergence of national and local milestones: the 200th anniversary of railroading in the United States, the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the 110th anniversary of the National Park Service and the 40th anniversary of Steamtown's enabling legislation. The celebration officially kicks off with an opening ceremony on  Sept. 4, at 10:30am.

“Railfest celebrates not only America's railroad heritage but also the people, partnerships and communities that keep that history alive,” said Jeremy Komasz, superintendent of Steamtown National Historic Site. “Following an incredible summer that brought more than 111,000 visitors to Northeastern Pennsylvania for the Big Boy Reunion, we're excited to build on that momentum and welcome visitors back to Scranton for another celebration of our shared history.”

Steamtown's 1929 Baldwin Locomotive Works No. 26 will take center stage with “No. 26 in '26,” providing steam-powered Scranton Limited rides throughout the weekend. Visitors can also experience caboose hops, photo run-bys, maintenance-of-way equipment rides, Big Boy No. 4012 cab tours, model railroad layouts and demonstrations inside the park's historic Locomotive Shop.

Railfest will bring an impressive collection of visiting railroad equipment to Scranton, including the Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad's famed Nickel Plate Road PA No. 190 and a special commemorative locomotive from Norfolk Southern. Visitors can also see the public debut of a half-scale replica of Union Pacific No. 119, representing one of the locomotives present at the 1869 Golden Spike ceremony. The Union Pacific Railroad Museum's traveling exhibit, All Set for the West, will also explore the historic relationship between America's railroads and national parks.

Throughout the weekend, dozens of railroad, cultural, historical, recreational, educational, civic, tourism and preservation organizations will participate in Railfest's Community Partner Expo. Additional activities include railroad-themed musical performances, special walking tours, hands-on demonstrations and World War II-era military vehicle rides supporting restoration of Steamtown's historic Troop Sleeper. Visitors can also participate in evening railroad photography opportunities in partnership with the Iron Horse Society and the park's first “Life on the Railroad” Costume Contest on Sunday.

Railfest once again coincides with La Festa Italiana in downtown Scranton and special programming at the neighboring Electric City Trolley Museum, creating a full Labor Day weekend of activities throughout downtown Scranton. A free COLTS shuttle will connect Steamtown and La Festa Italiana approximately every 30 minutes from 10:00am to 5:30pm, Saturday and Sunday.

General admission and parking at Steamtown National Historic Site are free. Fees apply for train rides and some special activities. Some advance train tickets will be available through Recreation.gov beginning Wednesday, August 26, with a limited number available for walk-up purchase during Railfest.

For the complete Railfest schedule, ticket information, parking details, participating organizations and the latest event updates, visit nps.gov/stea/planyourvisit/railfest-at-steamtown-national-historic-site.htm. Programs, equipment, train rides and activities are subject to change.